Other Bridge Funding Resources

Contact Info for Bridge Funding

Linda Gamman

206 685-7641 [lmkelley (at) uw.edu]

Communication and Project Manager and Asst. to Vice Provost, Office of Research

Box 351202

The Provost's Office will provide bridge funding to support faculty to span the gap in critical research programs. The University of Washington ranks among the top research institutions in the world and has a budget of over $1 billion in research grants and contracts. The UW and the region depend on the discoveries that come from our research programs. Several pressing issues face us during the next few years: (1) NIH funding, which accounts for about half of our research funding, is flat; (2) starting and more established faculty face increased competition for limited federal and non-federal research funds; (3) investigators may face loss of key personnel or key research resources.

Our annual application deadlines are May 1 and November 1. (Note fall submission date change from December 1 to November 1.)

Eligibility

Faculty with a track record of extramural funding who have lost all of their research support at the time of the Bridge application, or who will lose all of their research support within six months of the Bridge application deadline. Exceptions will be made for faculty who have lost or will lose 50% or more of their salary support. Such faculty are eligible for Bridge funding even though they have existing funding. Bridge funds from the Provost cannot be used for salary; required department and/or college matching funds can be used for any expenditure that supports research, including faculty salary. In addition, faculty members who have a grant that is restricted to pay only their salary (such as some NIH K awards) are eligible if they have no other research funding.

Junior faculty with a record of productivity who have exhausted their startup funds, but who have not yet obtained their first research funding (including an RRF award) either as a PI or as a co-investigator.

A facility providing a key resource to multiple faculty that has lost extramural support. One faculty member should submit the proposal on behalf of the team.

Faculty who hold an RRF award are eligible if the amount of the award remaining at the time of Bridge Funding application is less than $30,000. Please note that applicants who apply to both programs (Bridge and RRF) simultaneously will only be given one award. If an individual holds a Bridge Fund award and subsequently receives an RRF award of $30,000 or more, any remaining Bridge Fund monies must be returned.

In all cases, evidence must be provided to demonstrate efforts to establish or re-establish funding. Evidence such as grant reviews with priority scores will be used to evaluate these efforts. In addition, for faculty with joint, adjunct, or affiliate appointments involving the UW and a separate institution, eligibility requires that grants have been processed through the UW. If you process grants through the other institution, you are not eligible for UW bridge funds.

Note: The bridge award program is not intended as a 'pilot' or 'seed' funding program. The primary university-wide program for seed project funding is the RRF program. Bridge Funding awards are typically used to support on-going research programs that have lost funding, although these funds may also be used to support new research directions, at the discretion of the recipient.

Application contents and submission process

Applications from faculty should be submitted to the applicant's department chair, who should prioritize requests before forwarding them to the dean of the college/school. In non-departmentalized colleges/schools, applications should be submitted to the dean or his/her designee. Electronic applications are preferred, but for hard copy, please submit only one copy. You do not need an e-GC1 for bridge funding. The following material must be included in the application.

Your submitted application should include the following five required sections in the order listed:

Bridge award eligibility statement - Please provide one of the eligibility statements below (whichever applies to you) to affirm that you are eligible for a bridge award. If neither applies to you but after reading the eligibility FAQs you believe you are eligible, please contact Linda Gamman (lmkelley@uw.edu) to request a waiver.

Eligibility statements:

I will not have more than $30,000 funding from any source for carrying out any research in my laboratory (either as PI or as a co-investigator on another PI's grant) by 6 months after the due date for this application (June 1 for the Dec 1 deadline; Nov 1 for the May 1 deadline).

[example: I am applying Dec 1 and I have a grant expiring May 15. I am eligible.]

I will not have funding for more than 50% of my salary from any source by 6 months after the due date for this application (June 1 for the Dec 1 deadline; Nov 1 for the May 1 deadline).

[example: I am applying Dec 1 and by May 15 I am losing my main grant so my salary will drop to 40%. I am eligible.]

(Please see the FAQ document for answers to questions about eligibility.)

Curriculum vitae, including record of funding for the past 5 years with dollar amounts and funding periods listed for each grant (maximum of 4 pages combined). You may list either direct costs only, or direct + indirect, but indicate which is listed.

Demonstration of attempts to obtain funding (e.g. abstracts of submitted grants, panel summaries, priority scores or other evaluations and comments; do not send complete grant applications).

Description of proposed research (maximum of 5 pages including the bibliography). The abstract of a submitted grant is sufficient, if it is appropriate.

Budget and justification, including the match commitment (see below).

Statement of how this funding will increase chances of future funding.

Budget Information:

Maximum award from the Provost: $50,000

Given for one year or until extramural funding is re-established. Can include supplies, equipment, lab personnel (technicians, students, fellows), travel and other research expenses. Salary requests must include benefits. Provost funding cannot be used for the salaries of faculty.

Matching requirement: All funding requests must be matched 1:1 by the applicant's college/school.

Matching can be in any category that supports the research, including faculty salary, providing it is not currently being supplied by the department, school, or college. Faculty with 11-month appointments cannot use departmental salary as matching. The match must occur in the same time period that the research is carried out. Matching funds must be a new commitment. It cannot be funding that was in place before the faculty member started to lose their funding.

Documentation of the matching commitment and a budget for the match must be included with the request. The matching commitment should be confirmed by the chair or dean who provides the funds. An email confirmation is sufficient.

Submit the budget for the matching amount from the department. If all costs will be split 50:50, just state that under the budget.

Funding Established or Re-established

At the time funding is established or re-established, unspent funds will be returned to the bridge program so that others can benefit.

Deadline and Notification of Award

Deadline for the proposals will be twice each year, May 1 and November 1. If the due date falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the proposals will be accepted through the following Monday. Since all applications must be ranked within the school or college, applicants should check for internal review deadlines. Proposals will be reviewed by a committee in the Office of Research and recommendations will be made to the Provost. Notification of award will be made within one month of submission. A total of $500,000 is available for each round of awards. Typically funds will be available approximately 30 days from the date that the TRANSPASU form is signed and routed.

Post-Award Process

Once the award period is complete and/or outside funding is received, unspent funds will be returned to the Office of the Provost. The financial office of the Office of Research will assist with these transactions.

Return of Unused Funds

The Office of Research financial staff will contact GCA, Team 6 and department administrators via email to implement return of funds. This may require department administrators to rebalance local expenditures so that the bridge funding sub-budget reflects 50% of the unused balance. Returned funds must be incorporated in the original bridge grant parent budget and OR fiscal staff will send an email to GCA to close out the budget.

Final Bridge Funding Report

A report will be requested at the end of the funding period with the following information: final accounting of the funds that were spent from the provost and matching fund sources respectively, a summary of the research that was carried out, any publications that resulted, and any grants that were awarded or are pending.

No Cost Extensions

A one year extension for spending bridge funds may be granted at the discretion of the Vice Provost. In those cases, the Annual Status Report deadline will also change accordingly (a one-year extension will add a one-year delay to the Annual Status Report). Any funds remaining at the end of this second year must be returned to the Provost.